Chapter 489

"My luck this time is really good." Ning Zhuo sighed sincerely.

Liu Er took the initiative to step forward, bearing much of the hostility and damage, allowing Ning Zhuo to follow along all the way to the final battle.

When the moment of victory arrived, he used the Valiant Warrior Return Technique to secure the final victory in one fell swoop.

The best part was that from beginning to end, Ning Zhuo had hidden his true intentions. All the competitors, and even the parties involved like Mu Lan, believed that Ning Zhuo had no interest in this position and only agreed because he was forced by the situation.

Sun Sun Lingtong exclaimed, "Little Zhuo, you are truly a talent for the righteous path!"

He was the only one who knew the inside story.

In this way, even though Ning Zhuo had obtained the greatest victory, he did not become a target of public criticism, but instead maintained good relationships with most people. In fact, these people even owed Ning Zhuo a great favor.

As for Ning Zhuo, Mu Lan had to stabilize him and maintain the status of husband and wife to buy more time to build her career.

As for the three generals Liu, Generals Generals Guan, and Zhang, Ning Zhuo was the money bag of the Three Generals Camp, and they needed to maintain a good relationship with him even more.

The emotions of Shuang Jing and Sun Gan toward Ning Zhuo were very complex, mostly envy and jealousy—that a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator had actually managed to get such a big bargain in the end.

The person who should hate Ning Zhuo the most was Ma Ma Liangcai. It was precisely because of Ning Zhuo that he had fallen short of success. However, this resentment was greatly reduced because Ning Zhuo had publicly agreed with Mu Lan that they would "inevitably divorce."

"You lucky brat, don't act like you've suffered when you've gained so much!" The envoy from the Royal Capital held his head high, looking at Ning Zhuo with a condescending gaze.

Ning Zhuo hurriedly explained that the real reason he wanted to divorce was by no means that he looked down on the Liangzhu Kingdom, and that he was full of respect for the Mu General-in-Chief's mansion. It was just that he had to be responsible to his family and had to provide a clear explanation to the Zhu family of the Nandou Kingdom royal family.

Involving the royal family of another country, and since the Nandou Kingdom was much stronger than the Liangzhu Kingdom, the arrogant expression of the envoy from the Royal Capital subsided a lot.

The others were even more speechless.

In their view: the one who wanted it couldn't get it, while the one who didn't want it became the son-in-law of the Mu General-in-Chief's mansion.

"Fate..." Shuang Jing sighed up at the sky.

Sun Gan remained silent, already beginning to consider his future path.

This time he had taken action against Ma Ma Liangcai and had also soured his relationship with the Red Flower Camp, suffering heavy losses. Now he could only pin his hopes on building merit on the main battlefield.

Otherwise, if he returned to the Royal Capital, he would definitely not have a good ending!

"Come, Young Master Ning Zhuo, since everyone is here, let's have a witness and conclude the marriage contract right here!" Mu Lan was very worried about twists and turns in this regard and was eager to finalize these matters.

The significance of this marriage contract to her and the entire Mu General-in-Chief's mansion was too great; she dared not be careless.

The envoy from the Royal Capital nodded: "That's right, conclude the marriage contract, and this matter will have a result, and I can go back and report to the King."

Liu Er opened his mouth to speak, but after his Adam's apple bobbed, he could only watch helplessly as Ning Zhuo and Mu Lan concluded the marriage contract.

The moment the marriage contract was reached, he felt as if he had suddenly stepped into thin air, his whole being feeling empty, as if he had lost the treasure of his life.

To be honest, although his pursuit of Mu Lan was mostly for utilitarian reasons, there was indeed admiration in the depths of his heart.

Now, as he looked at Ning Zhuo again, a feeling of disgust and hatred surged in his heart.

Liu Er shook his head hurriedly, as if to shake off this negative emotion.

"Liu Er, oh Liu Er, what are you thinking?"

"All of this is not what Ning Zhuo wanted either."

"In fact, the advisor has been helping me throughout the whole process, it's just that due to a twist of fate, it led to this result."

"His ability to defeat Ma Ma Liangcai was because the opponent was at the end of his rope. And Ning Zhuo used the Valiant Warrior Return Technique, a strange military spell."

"..."

As Liu Er thought about it, the negative emotions in his heart grew more and more.

"Damn it, why wasn't the final winner me?"

So angry!

He had worked hard the whole time, but the one who reaped the results was someone else.

"If Ning Zhuo had cast the Valiant Warrior Return Technique on me in advance, wouldn't I have been the final winner?"

"No, he made it very clear before. He hasn't mastered this military art yet, and if he cast it rashly and failed, he would suffer a great backlash."

"So, he only risked trying it at the very end, and it turned out to be a success."

"So, if I have to blame someone, I can only blame my bad luck!"

"..."

Still so angry!

"Why is my luck bad when I possess the King's mandate?"

"With this result, how am I supposed to explain it to my teacher?"

"In fact, the Three Generals Camp did win in the end. It's just that my identity is ostracized; if I weren't a human-demon hybrid, I could have concluded the marriage contract with Mu Lan!"

The more Liu Er thought about it, the angrier he became. He couldn't help but clench his fists, almost biting his teeth to pieces.

Generals Generals Guan Hong and Zhang Hei were both a bit awkward. On one side was the advisor, and on the other was their sworn brother. The two were fighting over a woman, and the young advisor won, and not even voluntarily.

This situation was truly a bit complicated for the two tough men.

"Seniors, please stay. Now that the dispute has a result, no matter what, stability is better than chaos."

"This is a happy event."

"Why don't I play the host, set up a banquet in the city, and treat you all!"

"Firstly, a great battle is imminent, and we all need to rely on each other to face the strong enemy. Secondly, I will eventually divorce General Mu Lan, and I wish to be friends with everyone, not enemies. I came to join the army this time just to take revenge on the Six Caves Sect and seek justice for my Ning family."

Ning Zhuo proposed, wearing a bitter smile.

Dressed in white, although he was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, he had the confidence of a great family and handled himself with ease, even when the people he was talking to were Jin Dan or Nascent Soul level cultivators.

He was confident enough to issue the invitation.

How should one put it?

One can only say that he was full of the demeanor of the righteous path from head to toe!

Ma Ma Liangcai shook his head: "No need!"

He refused immediately.

He was on a mission from the King this time, but he hadn't handled the errand well. Under these circumstances, if he still agreed to stay and drink with Ning Zhuo, what would that mean?

It would be like telling the King that he, Ma Ma Liangcai, hadn't put his heart into the errand, and perhaps he had even accepted bribes from Ning Zhuo.

For Ma Ma Liangcai, the most correct course of action was to return to the Royal Capital immediately, see the King, and plead guilty in person!

For a famous general like him, failing once or twice didn't matter, but if he ruined his impression in the King's heart, it would be very bad.

The envoy from the Royal Capital felt the same and also refused Ning Zhuo's invitation.

However, Shuang Jing and Sun Gan agreed.

These two parties had soured their relationship with the Red Flower Camp because they wanted to get their hands on the General-in-Chief's mansion. This time, since Ning Zhuo had taken the initiative to step forward and provide a way out, they were happy to take it and use Ning Zhuo to ease their relationship with the Red Flower Camp again.

That is how the righteous path is.

One moment they are fighting, and the next they can make up.

In many cases, interests are their respective positions.

Who made the great battle imminent? They all had to watch out for each other so that they could achieve more results.

Since Shuang Jing and Sun Gan agreed, Liu, Generals Generals Guan, and Zhang naturally had no reason to refuse. Mu Lan felt disgusted in her heart, but she also knew that Ning Zhuo's move was wise, so she went along with it.

Ning Zhuo was not stingy either, immediately choosing the most luxurious restaurant in the Canglin Immortal City and ordering a high-spec banquet.

This banquet alone cost him more than ten thousand medium-grade spirit stones! One must know that the normal monthly income of a Jin Dan cultivator was only between three thousand and eight thousand medium-grade spirit stones. Jin Dan cultivators with lower incomes had an annual profit of about thirty to forty thousand.

Ning Zhuo spent more than ten thousand medium-grade spirit stones on a single meal, which really brought some shock to others.

Mu Lan's expression was complex, and she had a lot to say, but she held it all back.

With this money, it would be so much better to pay the soldiers of the Red Flower Camp!

"Young friend Ning Zhuo is worthy of being a disciple of a great family." Shuang Jing said. He was usually this generous, but now he couldn't be; the White Jade Camp had suffered too much loss in the ambush.

Ning Zhuo laughed loudly: "This time I wrote to the family, and they allowed me more authority, so I can use more assets."

"And taking revenge on the Six Caves Sect is my main purpose."

"In the upcoming great battle, I look forward to working hand in hand with you seniors to break through the Thousand Peaks Forest."

Sun Gan nodded, very satisfied with Ning Zhuo's awareness, and immediately followed the topic to express his position: "Yes, the Thousand Peaks Forest is our common goal and the source of our military merit!"

Ning Zhuo slapped the table, stood up, raised his wine glass, and recited a poem casually.

"Golden goblets of fine wine invite the heroes, past grievances and old hatreds can all be dispelled."

"United in hatred against the enemy, we tread upon the thousand peaks, fighting bloody battles on the battlefield to build merit."

"Everyone, why not drink this cup to the full!"

After speaking, Ning Zhuo tilted his head back and poured all the fine wine in the cup into his mouth.

The crowd quickly looked at each other, raised their glasses in response, and drank them dry!

The atmosphere was opened up, and under Ning Zhuo's hosting, it gradually became enthusiastic.

Ning Zhuo sat in the main seat, and Mu Lan was in the secondary seat.

At the banquet, Mu Lan couldn't help but frequently cast her gaze at Ning Zhuo, who was talking eloquently.

Although it was forced by the situation and she had to acknowledge this "little husband," at this moment, Mu Lan saw a trace of her father's shadow in Ning Zhuo.

Sometimes, a dinner table is also an alternative battlefield.

The role Ning Zhuo was playing at this time was exactly what Mu Lan could not become. He eased the relationship with Shuang Jing, Sun Gan, and others, which also represented the easing of contradictions between the Red Flower Camp, the White Jade Camp, and the Golden Halberd Army. Mu Lan knew deeply that this was a wise move! Therefore, she was happy to see it happen.

Liu Er felt very uncomfortable in his heart!

The fine wine became a drink of sorrow, and Ning Zhuo's high spirits constantly caused negative emotions to grow in his heart.

Liu Er forced himself to endure, telling himself that Ning Zhuo was not his enemy, but his own person! One should be broad-minded.

He saw the expression in Mu Lan's eyes as she watched Ning Zhuo, and his heart twitched fiercely.

He started to get angry again!

He had to shift his gaze to his second and third brothers, only to find that Generals Generals Guan Hong and Zhang Hei had complex expressions and were quite restrained.

Liu Er's heart shook slightly, and he immediately realized that this situation was not right.

"The matter is already done and hard to reverse. I must not let my second and third brothers become alienated from the advisor."

"The advisor is the money bag of my Three Generals Camp. If there is internal friction, the combat power of the Three Generals Camp will also be greatly weakened!"

This was not what Liu Er wanted to see.

Liu Er privately transmitted a message via spiritual sense, telling Generals Generals Guan and Zhang to relax, saying that his pursuit of Mu Lan, the so-called love at first sight, was just an excuse, and his real purpose was to unite and maneuver, get rid of his mixed-blood identity, and be able to use the General-in-Chief's mansion to become a high-level official and gain connections in the imperial court.

"Now, the advisor being chosen as the husband is also a victory for our Three Generals Camp!"

"From the result, we defeated Shuang Jing, Sun Gan, and even Ma Ma Liangcai; we achieved a great victory!"

Under Liu Er's encouragement, Zhang Hei's tense face became lively. Generals Generals Guan Hong's movements were no longer stiff, and he reached out to stroke his beard slowly.

The restaurant waiter served the last main course.

Lifting the lid of the plate, there was a raging flame.

The flames burned, and the rich fragrance spread, soon filling the entire room.

Strangely, the chicken in the flames remained completely intact.

When the flames went out, everyone saw clearly that this was not chicken, but bird meat.

Shuang Jing sighed with a complex expression: "This is a dish made with the Fire Feather Perching Branch Bird as the main ingredient, called Flame Fragrance Arrival!"

"It uses dried chili, star anise, cinnamon, herbs, honey, orange peel, purple cabbage, pepper powder, sea salt, etc., as auxiliary ingredients, and is seasoned with soy sauce, minced garlic, honey, and juice squeezed from orange fruit."

"Using spells to urge spiritual fire to burn, it allows the auxiliary ingredients and seasoning to fully penetrate into the bird meat and completely fuse into one."

"The Fire Feather bird meat itself is dry and tasteless, but after this burning, it immediately undergoes a earth-shaking change, becoming a delicacy that one will never forget for a lifetime!"

Everyone tasted it one after another and praised it without exception.

The rich layers of spicy, fragrant, sweet, and numbing flavors had a powerful impact on the tongue.

This was the interweaving of fire and fragrance!

The bird meat was more tender and smooth under the coating of honey, and the combination of roasting and flame sauce conveyed a sense of sublimation from the ordinary to the extraordinary to the diners.

Liu Er and Generals Generals Guan Hong were eating such a luxurious thing for the first time, and while tasting it, complex emotions surged in their hearts one after another.

Shuang Jing was eating the bird meat and looked at Ning Zhuo with a complex expression, whispering:

"Feathers red as flames reflect the rosy light,"

"Fragrance penetrates the bone marrow, intoxicating the soul."

"When will the ordinary bird climb the branch to change,"

"Flying into the clouds to display the nine chapters."

This poem was not only about the dish, but also about Ning Zhuo, and even more about himself.

After finishing the recitation, this disciple of a high family drank the wine in his cup and stood up in low spirits.

"I am drunk."

"Everyone, see you again."

He turned and left, stepping directly over the windowsill, stepping onto a light cloud, his long sleeves fluttering, and he merged into the night alone and lonely.

Shuang Jing's poem caused the atmosphere at the dinner table to vanish.

The guests rose one after another to say goodbye.

Ning Zhuo also wanted to leave with Liu, Generals Generals Guan, and Zhang, but was grabbed by Mu Lan.

"Young Master Ning Zhuo... the night is late, why not return to the Red Flower Camp with me."

"I will teach you the Profound Gold Armor-Breaking Art."

Liu Er was just about to walk down the steps, but when he heard this, his footsteps couldn't help but pause.

Generals Generals Guan Hong and Zhang Hei both stopped and turned to look at Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo bowed to Mu Lan: "General Mu Lan, I have no interest in the Profound Gold Armor-Breaking Art. Becoming your husband was just a twist of fate, forced by the situation."

"I am the Military Advisor Libation of the Three Generals Camp!"

"The night is getting deep, General, please rest early and take care of your wounds. Goodbye."

After speaking, the young military advisor in white did not look back, but walked toward the joyful and admiring gazes of the three generals and joined them.

(End of chapter)